You know how you know your team is getting better? Wins aren’t good enough anymore. You want to play well AND win.

And I’m not so sure Oklahoma City played all that great. No matter though, they won, 105-89 over the now 2-29 Nets. And that’s sometimes what it takes. Do enough to win on the road and then move on with your life. But still, it wasn’t pretty and I like pretty. If you really wanted to be, you could be a little bummed with this win.

But I don’t think we’re to that point with this team yet. I feared a loss heading to New Jersey tonight. But the Thunder took care of their business and won the game. That’s what is important.

If you just check the final line, you assume OKC played a nice defensive game. And in the second half, the Thunder certainly did. But that first half. The Nets, who by efficiency standards are the worst offensive team in the league, scored 55 points and shot 51 percent in the first two quarters. Now in the second, OKC allowed the Nets to just 34 points and held them to just two points over a 10 minute stretch. That’s something a good team does. Coast for a bit, then turn it on. And when the game looked to be in danger, much like the Charlotte game, the Thunder locked down. Keep Reading…

I’m a broken record, I know. But the more this team wins, the more terrifying these should-win games get. Especially when they’re against a 2-28 team. I’m just having trouble getting used to a team that beats most every team it should. We didn’t see this last year and I haven’t gotten used to the idea of feeling confident. I still feel like at any time, to any team, this group could lose. Keep Reading…

First off, I hope you all had a merry, merry Christmas. And secondly, happy birthday to my awesome father who had his too-many-to-count birthday yesterday. Best to you Pop.

Kevin Durant with a welcome note to his new teammate: “The circumstances that [Eric Maynor] came in with, catching three planes and getting traded as a rookie after 20 games, it was tough. He came in and controlled the game for us and got the ball to people in good spots and if we would have made more shots for him he maybe would have had nine or 10 assists. He played well and I know once his feet get under him and he becomes more comfortable with our offense, he’s going to excel. We’re glad to have another guy that we can depend on to backup Russell. He’s a scorer but he knows in this league that he has to defend and distribute the basketball. But he can score when we need him to, and he’s versatile in his game. He gives us a different dimension to our offense. Him and Russell are going to be phenomenal for us.” Keep Reading…

When the ball meets the pavement, when that asphalt echo reverberates throughout my neighborhood and I know that somewhere a young boy or girl is dribbling down a sidewalk or working on their jump-shot despite the frigid winter winds, that familiar twinge of nostalgia and the innocent love of the game always hits me. Sometimes it’s potent and overwhelming, like when I’m playing 21 with my buddies in a concrete driveway and for whatever reason I realize what that moment really means and I tell myself to mark it and appreciate it, cling to it before it passes. But other times it’s subtle, perhaps even imperceptible, silently stirring up an ancient ache to grab my worn smooth basketball and head to the playgrounds for an impromptu five-on-five game in the middle of whatever I’m doing.

With each bounce, with every ringing echo of the sweet pavement ping or the warm hardwood drum some sentimental string inside me resonates as well, reawakening that childlike love for a game that is simple and direct, yet complex and far-reaching in its impact.

And with another year behind us and the next year peeking over the horizon, I can’t help but return again to a thought that continually draws me back to the game of basketball and a conversation that I’m not certain fans or even players and coaches know how to put into words or contextualize. Keep Reading…

The Thunder looked flat early. The crowd was lethargic, as were the players. Blame it on the bad weather, a Christmas hangover, whatever. But this game had every appearance of a letdown. But here’s what’s cool: They won.

It was almost similar to how the REALLY good teams do it sometimes. Come out with sub-par energy and when things look to be getting serious, YOU get serious. It’s not ideal but it’s what good teams do to get by during an 82-game season. And I think at this point we can (gasp) start calling Oklahoma City a good team.

But the Thunder never could completely put Charlotte away. After a 13-2 run in the second quarter, the Bobcats came back with a big run of their own. After a 9-0 run to start the third quarter, Charlotte came back to bring it to within four. OKC held a 5-10 point lead for virtually the entire game. And while yes, it was a little frustrating that the Thunder never really put the dagger in, this had the feeling of a lot of Thunder games against elite teams. One side has just enough talent to keep it somewhat interesting, but the other clearly has them overmatched. It felt like OKC playing Boston or Cleveland last year, when the Thunder could keep it around eight or ten, but never have the extra umph to get over the hump. And I think it’s kind of cool to have a team good enough to “toy” with another team. Keep Reading…

I think we all know the fear here. The L-word. Letdown. Oklahoma City did what we all truly hoped for with the three-game road stretch – won a game. But while coming back at .500 is huge, it doesn’t mean anything if the team doesn’t capitilize on it these last four games of 2009. And that means starting tonight with a winnable home game against the Bobcats. Keep Reading…

(Morning. Thanks for your support of Daily Thunder. I hope you got exactly what you wanted yesterday and if not, I hope the lines are short at whatever store you’re taking it back to.)

I’m an Eric Maynor fan. I loved him at VCU and I kind of sort of wanted him with the second pick last June. And while I realize Maynor is not Chris Paul or Isaiah Thomas, I do think he’s a perfect fit behind Russell Westbrook and I love that the Thunder are one step closer to an almost completely solidified long term rotation. So introduce yourself to Maynor if you don’t already know him. He’s quite a ballplayer.

(There is a lot of good basketball on today, so consider this an open thread if you’d like to stop by and chat a bit. Or to talk about the presents you got or how much you hate your extended family. It’s all fair game.)

First off, thank you all so much for your support of this here site. I truly appreciate it. You all have made this place what it is – a great place to come and talk about our favorite team. Merry Christmas and go Thunder!